


Camp Somewhere

by heyystiles



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Camp Know Where (Stranger Things), Gen, Post Season 3, Season 3 Spoilers, will add more as i go!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-27 16:13:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20048875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyystiles/pseuds/heyystiles
Summary: It's the summer of 1986. The party goes to camp— the ENTIRE party.





	Camp Somewhere

**Author's Note:**

> the concept for this fic was inspired by several other wonderful summer camp fics, but was fleshed out (and very much hyped up) by my lovely friends on discord :')
> 
> any typos are my fault!
> 
> and any content you recognize belongs to netflix and the duffer bros, not me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> season 3 canon divergence:  
\- hopper made it out of the russian base with joyce  
\- they repaired the cabin  
\- everyone is still in hawkins

**SUNDAY; JUNE 11TH, 1986**

“Uh-  _ hey Joyce— _ what was the name of that camp you said Henderson went to last year?” A yell echoes across the cabin as Hopper continues thumbing through the newspaper.

There’s a comfortable lull of silence, but that doesn’t stop Hopper from growing mildly uneasy at the lack of response.

Meanwhile, Joyce is busy attempting to braid El’s hair — keyword  _ attempting  _ ** _( _ ** raising two sons for as many years as she has would do that to you  ** _)_ ** _ .  _ Her tongue peeks out from between her lips as laser-sharp focus zeroes in on the task at hand - that is, up until Hopper calls out a second time and El gives a gentle tug to her sleeve.

But once again, there’s no response - and Hopper gets up from the La-Z-Boy before padding across the living room to El’s bedroom.

“Almost there, kiddo—” Joyce mumbles through the hair tie caught between pursed lips. El flinches slightly as roots are tugged in an unfamiliar direction and Joyce’s expression softens, instantly apologetic, “—sorry, sweetie.”

Not a second later, however, the braid is finished and Joyce loops the green fluffy scrunchie  ** _( _ ** one El had apparently been gifted by Max  ** _) _ ** around the gently curled ends of El’s singular French braid.

“Not bad,” a voice comments from the doorway. It’s Hopper - doing everything he can to hide the grin playing at the edges of his lips.

Joyce nods appreciatively and El immediately moves to examine the new hairstyle a bit closer in the mirror hanging across the room.

“I haven’t really had the opportunity to practice, but thank you—” Joyce replies, with a sincere but amused smile, before giving Hopper a quick pat on the arm and exiting the room.

Hopper lingers in the doorway for a brief moment longer, a rush of pride and adoration leaving his face flushed with warmth and his chest humming as he watches his daughter inspect her new look.

El sits back down on her bed after a moment with a contented sigh and she and Hopper exchange a quick glance **_( _**one that says _‘I’m happy. Are you happy?’ _**_) _**followed by a nod of affirmation before Hopper turns to rejoin Joyce in the living room.

The newspaper is still fanned out on the coffee table and Joyce has already spotted the article Hopper was previously skimming through, beginning to give it a once over herself.

The headline reads,  **CAMP KNOW WHERE CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY.**

“Summer camp, huh?” her tone is curious and intrigued, and a hint of a smile plays at Joyce’s lips.

Hopper shrugs just as El emerges from her room to join him at his side, brows raised in confusion, “Summer...camp?”

The chief grins, ruffling his daughter’s hair, “What?  _ I heard they were looking for parent volunteers. _ ”

—/-/-/—

Meanwhile, at the Wheeler household, Mike lays splayed out on the basement floor, surrounded by most of the remaining party members as annoyed groans echo across the room.

“Come on, dude— let’s do  _ something?? _ ” Dustin prods, jabbing Mike in the side with his index finger.

Mike flinches but ultimately ignores him, letting out another even louder groan.

“What’s wrong with  _ him? _ ” Max asks from the couch, expression quizzical and arms folded over her chest in casual avoidance of the situation at hand.

Will just offers the redhead a bemused shrug.

“Mike— seriously. There’s got to be  _ something  _ we can all do—” Lucas tries again, but Mike just reaches for a pillow wordlessly, pressing the cushion onto his face, before inhaling deeply in preparation to let out one last, even louder, overly theatrical groan—

But his mother’s voice chimes in from upstairs and cuts him off.

“Michael!  _ Phone!”  _ Mrs. Wheeler yells and Mike sits up with a jolt. It’s El, it’s  _ definitely _ El.

Scrambling to his feet and toward the phone hung on the wall, Dustin tumbles backward as Mike pushes past.

  
“He lives!” Lucas jokes, holding up his hands in a gesture that says  _ easy, Mike,  _ before taking to his feet himself and joining the other by the phone.

Mike looks briefly happy, before shifting to positively confused, and each of the remaining party members echo his expression.

“Who’s he talking to?”   
**“I think it’s El.”**

“I thought it was his mom?”   
_ “His mom’s upstairs, idiot.” _

“It’s El—” Lucas turns around to answer, nodding in confirmation as Mike continues chatting away into the receiver.

“What are they talking about?” Will probes, tone genuine but not too pushy.

“Beats me,” Lucas shrugs, moving to take a seat on the couch next to Max.

Dustin is about to open his mouth to add his two cents when Mike hangs up the phone with a soft click.

“ **So?** ” several voices chime in, almost in unison.

“Uh—” Mike pauses, brows raised in disbelief of the words about to pass his lips, “- _ I guess we’re going to camp _ ?”

—/-/-/—

The store phone chimes as a vest clad teen approaches it with a tired sigh, before quickly employing her  _ customer service voice, _ “Family Video, this is Robin- oh,  _ hey Dustin _ . What’s up?”

The voice on the other end of the line is talking a mile a minute, excitement very clearly evident — for what reason exactly? Robin has yet to find out. But Dustin continues speaking regardless- something about  _ nowhere  _ and  _ camping?  _ Nothing makes any sense. Maybe asking him to explain will help? But the teen won’t let her get a word in edgewise.

“ _ Dustin _ ,” she speaks calmly over the other after a few more seconds of listening, hoping her sudden interruption would momentarily cut him off.  _ Nope.  _ His rambling continues and Robin’s palm and forehead suddenly become a bit more acquainted, “—DUSTIN,” she near yells, startling a customer examining a VHS shelf nearby.

Offering up a hushed apology, Robin realizes after a moment that Dustin has grown silent, and monopolizes her chance to speak...by immediately pawning it off on Steve.

“Steve’s on his lunch break, let me go get him,” holding the phone against her shoulder, Robin immediately decides she’s going to interrupt the other’s lunch break, and _ lucky for Robin _ the break room is right next to the phone. Leaning into the door, she peeks inside, getting Steve’s attention with an overly aggressive  _ PSST! _

Steve jumps and the phone is immediately shoved into his hand, the cord taught against the door frame as Robin ushers her friend to his feet. He’s not about to break the phone on her watch — not  _ again  _ at least.

Steve stumbles toward the wall, mouth still full of whatever he’d been peacefully eating before being so  _ rudely  _ interrupted, before holding the receiver up to his ear.

“Oh, h’y D’stin—” He pauses before saying any more, and Robin knows Dustin has started his business pitch all over again. Nodding in acknowledgment, despite the fact that there’s no way Dustin can see him, Steve seems hooked on the boy’s every word.

The idea confuses Robin, but perhaps this is how their friendship manifested itself in the real world, through engaging conversations about topics others found utterly  _ puzzling  _ from an outsider’s perspective.

Just as she’s finishing her thoughts regarding the over-analysis of the Harrington-Henderson friendship, Steve hangs up the phone. Raising an eyebrow in question followed by an inquisitive shrug, Robin offers up a wordless  _ what? _

Steve grins, looking way too sure of himself, “ _ You ever been to science camp? _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!
> 
> chapter title - summer breeze by seals & crofts


End file.
